


We'll Fall Together

by TheBookGirl



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Daddy Kink, F/M, I really just cast her in a negative light but I guess you can call it bashing, Jealous!Stefan Salvatore, Jealousy, Light Elena bashing, Matt Donovan being a boring little plot device, Minor Elena Gilbert/Stefan Salvatore, Possessive Behavior, Stefan Salvatore has a daddy kink, as always, light possessive behavior, so does reader, will add more tags as story goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:40:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27039607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBookGirl/pseuds/TheBookGirl
Summary: plot bunny that kept bugging me, reader has a daddy kink and can't resist calling em like she sees em, even when the person has super hearing and there is no way he hasn't noticed her habit of calling him daddy when she thinks he isn't listening.
Relationships: Stefan Salvatore/You
Comments: 18
Kudos: 86





	1. It started innocently

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, amateur author here. First, thanks for clicking on this story. It's completely self indulgent, which is the only reason I had the courage to post it. I don't epect many readers but I just had to get this out of my head and onto the screen. This will probably end up being a two shot. I'd say that I would only post the second chapter if this oen gets big, but since that's not what I'm here for I'll probably post the next chapter in a couple of days. Criticism is great, but not for this story, so please none of that here. This is like the second fanfic I've ever written, and it's only because I actually kind of liked this concept (and it is a crime how little Stefan fanfic there is out there). Anyways, enjoy, and know that a critical comment from you will crush my soul instantly but I'll still post that second chapter.

You knew you were doomed from the start.

It wasn't like you could help it. You had always been a sucker for the gentlemanly type, the "take care of you you" type. And it didn't help that this one was so genuinely sincere about it.

Of course, it wasn't like Stefan was flirting with you. Ever since you had first been introduced to Elena's new boyfriend, you had been able to see the devotion written clearly in his eyes whenever he looked at her. You had been digging through your locker for your next class while Bonnie caught you up on the mysterious new hottie who seemed to have eyes for your mutual friend. "I mean, there's nothing obviously wrong with him-by all accounts he seems like the perfect guy, actually-but I don't know, I just get this really bad feeling around him." Bonnie's tone was casual, but as you grabbed the book you needed and turned to look at her for the first time since you had started talking, you saw a flicker of deep concern in her eyes that she seemed to be trying to repress. You shut your locker and leaned against it, giving her your full attention.

"Have you told Elena about this?" you asked, frowning. Bonnie sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, but she thinks it's nothing. I don't know, maybe it is nothing and all this witchy nonsense is just going to my head and making me overthink things." Your frown deepened. Bonnie had always possessed a sharp sense of intuition, and as the years had gone by her friends had learned to trust it. It wasn't like Elena to flat out disregard Bonnie's input. This guy must really be something. As you opened your mouth to question her more, however, her eyes drifted over your shoulder and widened. "Shh! Here they come now." As she quickly flipped open her phone pretending to be deeply engaged by a text, you turned around to see the newcomer.

The first thing you saw was Elena, who smiled when you caught her eye. She raised a hand and waved enthusiastically at you, shouldering her book bag onto her shoulder more securely. Your eyes then drifted to the person walking a few steps behind her, and before you could restrain yourself your jaw dropped. It was, quite possibly, the hottest guy you had ever seen walk the halls of Mystic High School. It was no wonder Elena was enamored. Chocolate hair gelled into a beautiful swoop, eyes the same deep brown and seemingly brimming with a tender warmth directed at the girl in front of him. A strong jawline gave him a more mature appearance, and was highlighted by his thin cupid bow lips which where now curled into an amused smirk. He was tall, with a firm chest and muscular arms and a build that was just below what you would call buff. He was top tier daddy material. The two were standing in front of you now and you were still staring. The guy's smirk deepened and his eyes lit up with amusement as you realize you're still staring, still staring, stop fucking staring you weirdo pull it together.

You clear your throat and pick your jaw up off the floor, deftly ignoring the muffled laughter of Bonnie behind you and the clueless expression of Elena. "Hey y/n, Bonnie." Elena greets, still smiling brightly, completely unaware that you had just been shamelessly ogling her new boyfriend. Bonnie looked up and offered genuine, if somewhat subdued smile to Elena, throwing the mystery guy a cautious glance. Elena didn't seem to notice her friend's lack of enthusiasm. "I just wanted to make sure you guys didn't mind if Stefan ate lunch with us today." At your puzzled look Elena quickly added, "Oh, this is Stefan by the way. He just started school here. Stefan, this is y/n."

Stefan. Interesting name. You looked up at him just as he flashed a brilliant smile that made your knees weak. "Hi, I'm Stefan Salvatore. It's a pleasure to meet you." His voice was a friendly baritone, pleasing to the ear. He held his hand out expectantly, and after a beat of internal drooling you got the message. "Oh! Um, yeah, hi. I'm y/n," you say, trying to project confidence into my voice to cover up your embarrassment of being caught earlier. you grasp his firmly, and he looks like he is fighting a smile, as if he knows exactly what you're thinking. He shakes your hand, and you blush as he gently squeezes. His eyes are staring into yours and they're so pretty, you are going to die on the spot if you don't do something immediately. you yank your hand back, not noticing the corner of his smirk tick down as you do so. you cross your arms defensively. God, so embarrassing. He's going to end up taking out a restraining order on you. You make a bad attempt at appearing casual as you pretend to check your nails. "I don't care if he eats with us if Bonnie doesn't." Out of the corner of your eye you see her whip her head up to glare at you, and you wince. Sorry Bonnie, please take the attention off me!

Stefan, who had been studying you until now, finally turned his gaze to Bonnie, and you had to fight back a sigh of relief. Elena also turned to Bonnie, eyes pleading.  
"Bonnie?" She prompted after a moment of silence. Bonnie sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, sure, whatever. I've gotta go, catch you guys later." Then, without meeting any of your eyes, she pushed past Elena and headed for the restroom, her pace brisk. Stefan frowned, eyes following her retreating form as Elena let out a sigh of frustration. "I should go after her."

Your eyes widened with panic. She wanted to leave you alone with Mr. Perfect? So you could make an even bigger fool of yourself? No! Quickly growing more panicked by the second, your arm shot out to grab her as she turned. "No!" you said a bit too loudly.  
She turned back to you, surprised. Stefan looked confused as well, and you quickly tried to get your thoughts in order. "I, uh, I mean, I'll talk to her for you." You offered desperately, praying that the universe would show you mercy. So of course Elena only shook her head, pulling her arm from your grasp as your heart sank to the floor. "No, I should be the one to talk to her. I'm kind of the reason she's mad. I'll catch up with you guys later. Bye Stefan!" And before you can do anything else, she's jogging down the hall in the direction Bonnie went. Leaving you alone with a literal Adonis. You huff, resigned, and go to say something to Stefan when you notice how troubled he looks. He's still looking in the direction Bonnie and Elena went off to, and you realize that Bonnie's poor opinion of him must be bothering him. Without thinking you reach up and tug on his sleeve. He immediately turns back to you, his eyes clearing and focusing on yours expectantly. Suddenly realizing that you didn't actually have anything to say, you just wanted to make him feel better, you fumble for your words. "Don't mind Bonnie, she just takes a minute to warm up to strangers. Plus she's kind of protective of Elena, ever since..." Annnd great, two minutes in and you've already brought up Elena's dead parents. Great way to make him feel better. But instead of finding it odd Stefan's eyes crinkle as he chuckles, a beautiful rich sound. "Thanks, but I think she just doesn't like me, though I can't imagine why." He looks at you again, mirroring your stance and leaning his weight on the locker next to him. "Have you and Elena been friends a long time?" He asks. you nod.

"Yeah, I started hanging out with her and Bonnie in middle school. I hung out with Caroline too back then, but we don't really talk much now. She's a bit...much."  
He nods attentively. "Caroline...would that be the blonde over there that looks like she's going to eat me?" You look at where he's gesturing and sure enough, there' Caroline at her locker, staring at the two of you with a look that can certainly be called hungry. You chuckle uneasily. "Yep, that would be her. I'd steer clear unless you're in the mood to be borderline sexually harrassed." This earns a laugh from him and you chuckle too, feeling the tension leave you as you relax more in his presence. The more you talk to him, the more Bonnie's words confuse you. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, nothing weird or off. So why does she have a bad feeling about him? You talk for a few more minutes before you notice the bell is about to ring. "Oh shoot, I've gotta head to my next class," you say, quickly throwing open your locker and gathering up the other two books you had forgotten to get while talking to Bonnie. You grunted from the effort of balancing them and shutting your locker, but not for long, as two hands swiftly remove them from your grasp. You look up to see Stefan holding your stack of books. He smiles. "Let me carry these. I'll walk you to your next class." You blush lightly as you make a halfhearted grab for your books. "No, it's okay, you've gotta get to class and chemistry is on the other side of the building, so..."

He moves the stack out of your reach, and his eyes turn hard, though his mouth keeps a playful smile. "There's no way I can let you carry these when I can see it's obviously a struggle for you. Plus, I have chemistry next too." You go to protest more and he holds up a hand, still smiling but less brightly. His eyes are stern but not unkind. "That's enough. I'm carrying your books for you. Now come on before we're both late, y/n." Your mouth shut with an audible click of your teeth as he says your name, his firm tone making you feel suddenly much warmer than before. With a now smug smile he walks past you without waiting for a response, heading in the direction of your next class with your books cradled securely in his arms as you stare after him dreamily. Total daddy material.

****

Time went on and Stefan became a staple in your friend group. After he and Elena made their relationship official, He started hanging around you guys more often, and everyone had more or less adjusted to his presence, including you. However, you were starting to lose it.  
You'd always had a daddy kink, and men like Stefan were exactly your type. Whether it was always making sure he was in front of you in the lunch line so that he could hand you your food, or giving you a dollar for the snack machine after hearing you say you were hungry, or offering you a ride when you complained about yours ditching you, he always seemed to try to, well, take care of you. He wasn't doing anything that crossed the line, but it was enough to get you flustered and goo goo eyed. You and Stefan had actually become somewhat close, and you desperately wanted to avoid creeping him out by how attracted you were to him, but it was getting harder to cover up your blushing face and stupid smiles. You knew how inappropriate it was. He was dating Elena for Christ's sake, and yet you couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to be in Elena's place, to be the one wearing his jacket, holding his hand, sitting in his lap, kissing him, whispering in his ear, saying-  
"Thank you, daddy" you mumbled absentmindedly as he handed you your drink from the machine, having stooped down to get it for you before you had the chance to stop him. At your words though, he froze, and you panicked.  
Oh shit! Did he hear you? Wait, there's no way, you barely said it out loud, there's no way he could have heard it at that volume. Calm down, calm down, act natural. You quickly pasted a smile on your face. "Th-thanks Stefan!" You said the familiar phrase a bit too loud, and you winced at your own volume. At this angle you couldn't see Stefan's face, but you could see the muscle in his jaw twitch. Your heart sinking, you tried valiantly to uphold the quickly dying smile on your face. "Uh, are you okay?" Suddenly a jingling sound broke the silence, and Stefan quickly leaned down to the coin return slot on the machine. He turned to you and casually offered the change. "Yeah, just getting your change. Here you go." You let him drop the change into your hand as you studied his face. He seemed no different than he was a few minutes before when you had been talking to him about his favorite shows, completely relaxed and friendly as always. As you both walked back to the cafeteria, once again engaged in easy conversation, you still couldn't shake the feeling that he might have heard what you'd said.

****

You made the slip a few more times on accident, internally beating yourself in the head every time you did it. You couldn't help it! Whenever he would do something for you, something thoughtful meant to make your day a little easier, you always reflexively tried to say "thank you daddy", a response that had been ingrained in you from years of relationships and responding the same way to your past lovers. However, you were ashamed to say that it had become less and less accidental and more of a habit. Whether you were around friends or even Elena, you had taken to calling Stefan daddy under your breath. You treated it as an odd way of venting. The feelings inside you had only been getting stronger, and you had begun fantasizing more and more about your Stefan. Calling him daddy, even if he wasn't aware of it, gave you a bit of an outlet. It made it easier to control the rest of your reactions around him (like that one time you had giggled at something he'd said like a little schoolgirl-even Elena had noticed and had shot you a suspicious look, while everyone missed the pleased smile that had graced Stefan's face). And Stefan had yet to notice. In fact, the two of you were closer than ever. You had started hanging out at the Gilbert house more to be around him under the guise of hanging out with Jeremy, and Stefan had started to coincide his visits with Elena with yours. You were pretty sure he knew what you were up to, but if it bothered him he didn't show it. Instead he would sit with you in the living room and play video games with you, watch movies, eat snacks and just enjoy each other's company.

Today you were sprawled across the couch with your legs in Stefan's lap. Elena was in Georgia with Stefan's brother Damon, which made zero sense to you but Stefan had said there was nothing to worry about, even though he himself didn't seem to believe his words. It gave you some alone time with Stefan though, so you weren't complaining. (you pushed away the niggling feeling of guilt-it wasn't as if you were really betraying Elena, you were just hanging out alone with her boyfriend who you have a massive crush on-totally fine). You were flipping through the channels idly while Stefan absentmindedly traced your ankle bone with his thumb, leaving trails of heat in his path. You sighed, giving up and holding the remote out to Stefan. "It's useless, I can't find anything good. You try," you ordered, and Stefan smirked and took the remote from you. You shivered as his hand brushed against yours. "That's just because you're ridiculously picky. There's plenty of stuff on." He flipped through the channels until he landed on Beetlejuice. How had you missed that?

"I'm not picky," you snort. "I just have impeccably high standards. Beetlejuice does meet those standards though, so good job." You nudge him with your foot and he playfully tweaks your toe. "Glad you approve, girlie." You smiled to yourself at the new nickname Stefan had given you. You and him really were getting along quite well. Elena's increasingly close relationship with his brother hadn't been bothering him as much lately, it seemed. You hoped you were the cause of that. He was so in love with Elena, it was natural for him to feel insecure about her becoming friends with his brother (although you still didn't get what was so bad about him, but then again you had never been allowed to meet him. Stefan had flat out told you that you were not to interact with him, his hand had gripped your arm a bit too tightly and there had been a wild, almost scared look in his eyes, and when you had asked why he had refused to elaborate, only telling you that it was very important you didn't speak to him or, stranger yet, invite him in. You had agreed, after all you couldn't help but obey your Stefan when he was so forceful). Thanks to Elena's behavior, Stefan had turned more of his attention onto you, and your other friends were starting to notice. Specifically Matt, who had seen him wrap you in his hoodie during a particularly cold day at school. When asked about it you had denied it was anything special, saying he would have done the same for anyone else, but Matt only shook his head disapprovingly, warning you to "keep your guard up around that guy."

Sighing, you started to get up. You were craving coffee, and there was a brand new bottle of french vanilla creamer calling your name from the fridge. At your movement, Stefan frowned and stopped stroking your ankle (which you hadn't noticed he had started doing again) and gripped both of your legs to keep you from lifting them from his lap. "What are you doing?" he asked, looking away from the movie. You frowned back, but your heart was thumping in your chest. His hands were so warm. "I'm just gonne get up and make a cup of coffee." His frown vanished and he nodded, lifting your off of him and standing.

"I'll make it, you keep watching the movie." At your halfhearted protest he smiled and shut you up with a wink. "I know you don't want to get up, so hush. Sit tight and I'll be right back. Creamer and sugar, right?" and with that he was off to the kitchen, leaving you grinning like a loon n the couch. That was another thing. Stefan had started doing more things for you than necessary. Ever since the incident at the snack machine, he seemed to start going out of his way a bit more to do things for you. Whenever you asked he would just smile and say he was being the gentleman he was raised to be, but it didnt't help your poor heart. He would tug your hat down over your ears when it was cold, carry your books for you for every period he shared with you, he would buy you snacks whenever lunch was too disgusting for you to eat that day, he had once even knelt down in front of you in the hallway, nearly giving you a heart attack at the image of him on his knee in front of you, only to find he was retying your shoe for you with a look of intense focus that made your heart swell with affection for him even while Bonnie and Caroline gave you odd looks from the other side of the hall. And every time you would say "Thank you," adding a soft "daddy" at the end under your breath, and every time Stefan would smile and disregard your thanks with an "of course" or "no problem, girlie".

It was probably this exact behavior that had Elena spending more time with his brother, actually, which made you feel a bit guilty but not nearly guilty enough to make him stop. You remembered the way Elena had looked at you when Stefan had stopped in the middle of walking you two to school to zip up your jacket for you, saying "Honestly, it's like fifteen degrees out here you weirdo," before gently pulling your hood up and over your head. She had pulled you to the side later that day and had a long discussion with you filled with thinly veiled warnings to remember boundaries when it came to Stefan. You had nervously agreed with everything she'd said and then proceeded to somewhat avoid Stefan for the rest of the day, leading to him cornering you at your locker, pressuring you by caging you in with his arms until you told him why you were avoiding him. When you finally told him his eyes had flashed with what oddly looked like relief, like he had thought it was something worse, and then had darkened with another emotion you couldn't place, his jaw clenched as he said "I'll talk to her. But don't start avoiding me, okay? I like you too much" he'd whispered, beseeching, and you were drowning in his eyes and you were lightheaded from his closeness, and you were agreeing before you could think better of it, and that had been the end of that. Elena still glared at you from time to time, but never said anything more, leading you to wonder just what Stefan had said to her that day.

You were snapped out of your reverie by the smell of coffee, and looked down to see your favorite dog mug was being held out to you. You took it gratefully and sat up on the couch, blowing on the beverage gently as Stefan reclaimed his seat next to you, sitting a bit closer than before. You inhaled the scent of French vanilla and smiled, turning to face Stefan who was looking at you almost tenderly, though his eyes also flickered with something else as he looked at you expectantly. You realized what he was waiting for and chuckled. "Thank you, Stefan." You said softly, smiling. He inclined his head, but that something in his eyes didn't fade, instead growing in intensity. In fact, had you not picked that moment to look down into your mug and savor your first sip of coffee, you would have seen something that looked very much like disappointment cross his face. You didn't notice that you had failed to add on the word "daddy" like you usually do.

****

You were pretty sure Stefan was going to be the death of you.  
The day after you had hung out with him at the Gilbert house, you had been taking a walk through the woods when you came across him. He was hunched over, and cradling the body of what looked to be a small animal. When you took a step towards him, a branch snapped under your shoe and Stefan had whipped his head around, revealing a bloody mouth and wild eyes surrounded by black veins. You had turned to run only to find a terrified Stefan blocking your path, despite having just been five feet from you. His mouth was smeared with blood as he gripped you by the shoulders to prevent you from running away. "Please, y/n, please just listen, please don't be afraid, I promise I can explain if you just let us talk about this," and even with what you had just seen you were helpless to resist him, and so you heard him out. He had taken you to the boarding house and explained everything. At first you refused to believe him, but the longer he spoke the more things made sense. Why Elena had been mysteriously MIA as of late, why Bonnie had said she had a weird feeling about Stefan, why everyone had been acting weird around Damon. He seemed relieved when you started asking questions instead of just listening, and answered all of them without hesitation, even telling you about Katherine and how she related to his relationship with Elena.

It wasn't until the next day that you realized. Enhanced senses. Enhanced hearing.  
He must have heard you.  
Every time you had said "thank you, daddy" under your breath, or even just called him daddy under your breath for no reason other than it felt good to do, came flooding back. Your embarrassment consumed you, until you stopped to wonder why he had never said anything. He didn't address it at the boarding house either. Had he truly never heard you? From what he had told you about vampires and their hearing, that seemed impossible, but it was the only explanation you could think of.

Unless...

You gulped, looking at yourself in the mirror, at your dilated pupils and flushed cheeks, heart pounding at the mere thought.  
Unless he had heard. Unless he had liked it.  
You squealed and clapped your hands over your cheeks. There was no way. But it made a strange sort of sense. Why he had started going out of his way to do little things for you. What was that other than a way to make you thank him more often? And if he had super hearing, then he knew how often you would call him daddy under your breath. He knew you would say it almost every time you thanked him, or complimented him, or pretty much just saw him at this point, so if he knew what you were doing, why else would he try to hear it more often? True, Stefan had been treating you very...affectionately recently, but he was also still dating Elena. Elena, the prettiest, sweetest girl in school. There's no way he would pick you over her. And yet...

Over the past weeks Matt Donovan had started hanging out with you more, seemingly for no reason. It was fine at first, but as he started worming his way into your life more and more, you had started getting annoyed. Especially once you noticed that he was acting as a buffer between you and Stefan, seemingly appearing out of nowhere whenever the two of you would normally find yourselves alone together. It was obvious he had a thing for you, and you were not interested in what he had to offer. At all. Sure he was cute, but "cute" wasn't really your type, something almost everyone else was aware of. And you weren't the only one to notice his behavior. Your other friends had been teasing you mercilessly, apparently finding it hilarious that the one guy you considered to be more of a brother than Jeremy was crushing on you. Elena especially was thrilled, seeming to think that she could now get Matt's attention off her, and Stefan's attention off of you. Two birds with one stone. The only one who didn't seem to find it as amusing was Stefan himself.

The first time Matt had beaten Stefan to the punch by getting you your favorite snack at lunch, you had politely thanked him, secretly disappointed that he had robbed you of this exchange with Stefan, when you turned to see Stefan himself fixing Matt with a dark look. It was only a second though, so short you weren't sure you weren't just imagining the malice in Stefan's eyes as within a blink his expression was open and friendly again, though he had inconspicuously moved out from under Elena's head which had been resting on his shoulder. The second time was when Stefan had been about to carry your books for you, only to be smoothly intercepted by Matt with a "Here, let me walk you to class," as he took the books from your hands. Even though it wasn't a spoken rule, Stefan always carried your things for you when you went to class together, and you chanced a glance at him to gauge his reaction. He was staring at Matt, his hand frozen in its outstretched position towards you, and you swore the muscle under his eye twitched before he slowly lowered his hand back to his side and gave a strained smile. He'd made a point to quickly shepherd you out of class that day under the excuse of "vampire emergency, you should get home as soon as possible," and had hurried you out of the school before Matt could fight his way through the throng of students to escort you like he had been insisting on doing. You suspected that he was just sick of seeing Matt hang all over you and had gone along with it, privately finding it very interesting that he had a problem with other guys giving you attention. Right now you were at the Mystic Grill with Bonnie, Elena, Stefan, and Matt. Stefan was sitting next to Elena, his arm thrown around her shoulders casually even though his body radiated tension, his left hand absentmindedly twiddling a fork around. Elena was chatting with Bonnie about what spells she had been learning recently, and Matt was next to you talking about the upcoming dance as you tried your best to focus on what he was saying instead of the deliciously tight shirt Stefan was wearing. God, his body was perfect. You wanted to run your hands down his chest, up under his shirt and over his abs, you wanted to feel the planes of hard muscle you would find there, you-

"-and you know it's coming up soon..."  
"Uh-huh," you say for the millionth time, hoping it was the right response to whatever Matt had just said. Anyway, you still couldn't believe that someone as perfect as Stefan had walked into your life. It didn't hurt that he had decades of maturity on his side. It made him much more enjoyable to be around than most of the other guys your age. His looks didn't hurt either, of course. He was so sweet, and yet you could sense there was a side of himself he was keeping hidden. He was restraining something, and it made you...

Excited.

"Such a daddy," you whisper to yourself blissfully. Your eyes drift up to Stefans, only to find him already looking at you. His smile is a bit too smug when your eyes meet, and you realize he must have seen you checking him out (and, if your suspicions were correct, had heard your comment just now). Feeling a new sense of confidence after your epiphany about Stefan, instead of looking away you smirk back, and his smile widens into a grin. You hold each other's gaze for a few seconds too long before Elena says something to him and he turns to answer her. You sigh and fix your focus on a point on the wall, mind pondering the unfairness of the universe and hoe a certain brunette always seemed to get the best guys. You were also considering getting a refill at the soda fountain. You stared at it longingly, wondering when you would be able to politely excuse yourself from the conversation long enough to do so.  
"-wanted to go with me?"  
"Mhm, sure," you say. A gasp followed by a loud snap makes you turn your attention back to the table.  
Bonnie is staring at you in surprise, Elena is looking between you and Matt with a smile on her face, And Stefan...

Stefan's face is a mixture of disbelief and nothing less than betrayal. Something else lurks in his eyes too, darkening his expression with every passing moment. In his hand was a broken off half of a fork, the other half pinging off the table and onto the floor. You whip your head around in alarm to Matt who was looking happier by the second. "Wait, what did you just say?" you asked.

Matt's expression falls, but he quickly attempts to appear confident, sitting up a little straighter next to you. "I was saying...you're a really cool girl, y/n, and the dance is coming up soon, and so..."  
You realize what he's about to ask, and your eyes start to widen with panic. Fuck, fuck, fuck, how do you get out of this? He's going to ask you to the dance and there's going to be no way you can say no without making it awkward for everyone or embarrassing Matt-

Matt's hand is creeping closer to yours on the seat, and his eyes have a determined look in them. "I wanted to ask, will you-"<  
"Y/n, don't you want a refill?" You look up and are somewhat relieved to find that Stefan has spoken, cutting Matt off before he could put you on the spot. His eyes are staring into yours determinedly, and he looks like he will do something drastic if you say no, which there's no chance of. You quickly nod, picking up your cup and shaking the ice around for emphasis.

"Yep, now that you mention it I'm completely out of Coke." I turn to Matt and make my tone as casual as possible. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna go refill my drink."  
"I'll come with you, Elena needs a refill too." Stefan quickly says. Elena gives Stefan a quick thank you as she turns back to Bonnie to whisper about what had just happened. Stefan is already halfway out of the booth with Elena's cup gripped tightly in his hand. His expression is deadly calm, and you're almost intimidated by the idea of being alone with him when he's like this, but when you remember the alternative you immediately follow his lead, going to leave the booth only to be stopped by a hand at your wrist.

"Wait up, I'll go with you." Matt says, about to stand up as well. You hear a frustrated sigh and Stefan is staring into Matt's eyes, drawing his gaze.  
"No, you should to stay here and keep the girls company." He says with an odd intensity, almost like he is ordering him.  
Matt's eyes look glassy for a moment as he says "I'll keep the girls company," he said flatly, before sliding back into the booth and looking dazedly at Bonnie and Elena. You gasp softly. Was that compulsion? You had never seen it in action before. And the fact that Stefan would use it now?

You jump as a hand lands on your back, drawing your eyes back to Stefan. He's looking at you strangely. "Let's go," he says, and he leads you to the soda fountain. On the way over he takes your cup from your hand and you let him, used to him taking it upon himself to do things like this for you. You reach the fountain and he starts filling up Elena's cup.

"Thanks for saving me back there," you say in an attempt to break the silence. Stefan's expression doesn't lighten, His lips turning up in a bitter smile. "Matt's a nice guy, but he's not really my type, you know?" You try again, hoping to reassure him. Which was silly, since you weren't dating and you had no obligation to reassure him of anything. But if your suspicions were correct, Stefan was jealous. This should have made you giddy, but instead you were filled with the overwhelming urge to tell him that he didn't need to worry about Matt.  
"It's no problem, you looked like you wanted to disappear," Stefan said, his voice already a bit lighter after your reaffirmation of your dislike of Matt. He pops the lid onto Elena's cup and sets it to the side, before taking your and filling it as he did hers. On a whim, you say "You know, I really like how you get my drinks and carry my books and stuff for me. It makes me feel like someone is being considerate of me."

Stefan smiles at you, before looking away. "Matt likes to do those things for you too," he says, thinly veiled resentment in his voice as he speaks. You snort. "Yeah, but it isn't the same. You're much more dashing about it." Stefan lets out a surprised chuckle, taking your cup out from under the nozzle and popping a lid onto it. He grabs a straw and pauses, turning to you before he takes off the wrapper. "Do you thank him like you thank me?" He asks, his tone casual but his eyes calculating, watching you for your reaction.  
You stiffen as his words register in your head. He's never addressed what was going on between you two before, and even now you couldn't be sure that was what he was referring to. But you had a feeling you were correct.

You lean your hip against the counter, holding Stefan's gaze as you speak, softly, "No."  
You're standing way too close together now, your drink forgotten in Stefan's hand. You're fairly certain you aren't imagining the hunger in his eyes as they trace over your face, stopping at your mouth. Your tongue darts out to wet your lips and his eyes follow the movement. If you stand here any longer the tension will smother both of you, so you gently take the cup from his hand, startling him. "Thank you," you say sincerely. His eyes narrow, even as he nods, and you turn to walk back to the table, only to be stopped by Stefan shooting his arm out to grab your arm, preventing you from going any further

You turn to him questioningly, and he is looking at you in frustration, like he wants to ask you for something but can't figure out how to go about it. He looks almost desperate as he works his jaw, clearly wanting to say something but not able to get the words out. You stare at him in confusion for a moment before it dawns on you. You suck in a breath, hoping you aren't going to regret this. If you've somehow misread the situation, your relationship with Stefan (whatever that entails) will be ruined forever. Stefan's grip on your arm is tight as you gather your courage and look up at him from beneath your lashes. 

"Thank you...daddy" you whisper, just loud enough for him to hear had he been human. His features smooth over in what looks like relief, and the frustration is replaced by a look of satisfaction and some of the hunger from earlier. Slowly, without speaking, he releases you, and you give him one more quick smile as you turn and head back to the table, praying that Matt wouldn't bring up the topic of the dance again. Stefan following you after a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know the Mystic Grill does NOT have a soda fountain, but we’re going to pretend it does, because reader needed a way to be alone with Stefan at the Grill and the idea of her ordering a drink from the bar had too many logistics involved concerning her legality, and it wouldn’t have seemed as deceptively casual had Stefan straight up gotten her a drink, so soda fountain it is. Again, this is garbage people, I won’t be entirely canon compliant. I will try my best to stick to a comprehensible timeline though, so bear with me my one reader <3


	2. Suspicious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events at the grill, you and stefan dont see each other as often, and after the events at Pearl's house, you dont see him at all for weeks as he attempts to get his bloodlust back under control. When he comes back, however, he's a bit different...and you start to feel the first pangs of guilt about your "relationship" with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW. So crazy story, my dad broke my laptop and I wasn't about to try to type up a chapter on my tiny phone screen, and there was NO WAY I was writing fanfic on a school issued computer that tracks keystrokes, so i had to wait a while. But we set up an old desktop, so now i can update! I was super stoned when i wrote the first chapter of this, which is what i blame all the weird perspective shifts on, but i went back and fixed them just in case anyone cares :D

It's been about a month since the Grill Incident, as you had decided to call it. Things had gone mostly back to normal since then, what with everyone being preoccupied with the tomb being opened to release dozens of blood thirsty vintage vampires into Mystic Falls. 

Until everything had gone to hell that night Stefan was kidnapped by Pearl's rogue lackeys. 

The two of you had been distant ever since, and while you were a bit hurt you understood. From what you knew of Stefan, he had a hard time controlling his hunger for human blood. He was fine once he had been off of it for a while, but once he had a taste it was hard to stop. You had gleaned from Elena and Damon that after being forced to feed from Elena, he was no longer confident in his self control.

It had been weeks since you'd seen Stefan, and you sighed as you got out of your car and started the walk up to the high school entrance. You were late, and only had a few minutes to get your things together before the first bell rang. You had almost decided to play hooky today, but had changed your mind at the last minute, thinking of your already spotty attendance record these past few weeks. 

School hadn't been nearly as fun without Stefan there. You missed your little interactions and conversations, the special gestures he would do for you or the secret looks shared between you. The days just felt duller without him. You had started hanging out with Caroline again after her transformation (which had surprisingly made her much more fun to be around), but she still couldn't quite fill in the gap left by Stefan's absence, not to mention Bonnie’s. (You had nearly stopped hanging out with Elena altogether, as being around her filled you with a mixture of guilt and envy that you weren’t quite ready to face yet). You wondered how Stefan was doing. Knowing him, he was probably moping around his room hating himself over nothing. 

You were so lost in feeling sorry for Stefan that you failed to notice the person creeping up behind you, until they suddenly grabbed you from behind, squeezing your sides affectionately.

You yelped, jumping away from the ticklish sensation and spinning around to confront the perpetrator only to be met by a familiar grinning face.

"Stefan?" you laughed, surprised. He took advantage of your shock and quickly spun you around and into a hug (which you reciprocated enthusiastically, wrapping your arms around his broad shoulders and breathing in the smell of his leather jacket), before setting you down and removing the sunglasses he had been wearing.

"Who else would it be?" he teased. You were happy to see that he looked like his usual self, if a bit peppier. He was wearing a plain white tee under his soft leather jacket, and you noticed his red vintage Porsche parked behind him as he tucked his sunglasses into his pocket. You whistled appreciatively.

"Nice ride! I don't think I've ever actually seen you drive that thing around before." You smiled up at him. "What's the occasion?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Just felt like taking it out for a drive. It's a shame to let a car that nice sit in the garage collecting dust."

You nodded, checking out the car a bit more. You'd always loved the bright red color. You weren't super into cars, but you could tell that his was extremely nice. "You know I agree with you, but won't driving this around give you more attention than you want?" you asked him, resuming your walk into the school with him close beside you. He tilted his head and pretended to think for a moment, casually slinging an arm around your shoulders as you walked down the hallway towards your locker. "Nah, it'll be fine. Worst that could happen is they think I'm some sort of stuck up rich kid." He releases you to let you dig through your locker for your things, and gives you a cheeky smile when you turn back to face him. "They wouldn't be all wrong, though. I am pretty loaded."

You laugh out loud at this, and he smiles wider, mirth twinkling in his eyes and making them warmer. 

“I didn’t take you for a braggart, Stefan,” you tease, opening your locker grabbing your necessary books. 

He makes an affronted face from where he’s leaned up against the locker next to yours.

“Me? Bragging?” He scoffs. “Never. Just making it clear that money isn’t a problem for me, and it would be no inconvenience at all to, say, take you to the grill after lunch?” He pretends to look around before whispering mischievously, “I’ll even compel us some drinks.”

Ignoring the butterflies in your stomach brought on by the idea of spending an afternoon drinking and hanging out at the grill with Stefan, you force your expression to look suspicious. “That, Stefan, would be very illegal and unethical of you. What happened to lawful good Stefan?” you say, only half joking. Not that you were complaining, but this wasn’t exactly in character for him.

The bell for first period rings, saving Stefan from having to give a real explanation. Instead, he gives you a wink has he walks in the other direction to his class, saying “Maybe I’m in the mood for some actual fun for once. Later, girlie!” And with that, you’re left to rush off to your own class, praying you won’t be late again.

*****

_ Where were you in class today? _

The reply came almost instantaneously.

_ I decided to skip :p _

Then,

_ Why, you miss me? _

You rolled your eyes but you couldn’t quite keep the fond smile off your face. You had just been released to lunch after a boring history class-one that you were supposed to share with Stefan and Elena. To your disappointment, however, he had failed to show.

You debated on how to respond. Stefan had been...almost  _ flirty  _ with you today, even without considering the hangout session at the grill he had invited you to (you refused to get your hopes up by calling it a date) and while you didn’t want to do anything to ruin the lighthearted vibe between the two of you, you still had some concerns over Stefan’s overall wellbeing.

_ Are you sure you’re okay? _

Your finger hovered over the send button, before you decided to add,

_ I don’t want you to force yourself to be around humans right now if it’s too much for you. _

Nodding to yourself, you hit send, satisfied that you hadn’t come off as too motherly or overbearing. You moved forward in the lunchline, sighing as you saw what was on the menu for today. Chili pie. Yuck. 

Your phone buzzed and you took it out to check it one handed as you balanced your tray in the other hand, making your way to your usual table.

_ I’m fine, doll. I wouldn’t have come if I wasn’t. You’re not trying to get out of this afternoon, are you? Cause it wont wooooork _

You smiled happily to yourself as you walked to your usual table, putting your phone away for the moment. He seemed to be in a good mood. Maybe you were overthinking things and he was really doing as fine as he said he was. You had never seen Stefan so carefree, and you didn’t want to ruin it for him.

When you sat down, there seemed to already be a conversation going on between Elena and Caroline, who had both gotten to the table before you.

"I don't know, I've never seen him so depressed like this before. I'm worried about him," Elena was saying to Caroline. Caroline sighed, and put a hand on Elena's arm.

"I know, but you have to remember to see things from his point of view. If anything ever happened to you, it would kill Stefan. If he somehow lost control and hurt you, he'd never forgive himself." 

"Stefan would never hurt me though, I know it! And keeping himself locked up in that house,  _ dodging _ me, isn't going to help anything." She finishes with a huff, pulling away from Caroline's hand. I frown in confusion at that last part.

"Stefan's not locked up in the house, though. He came to school and everything." You point out. Isn't that a good sign? 

Caroline, who had sighed and had her mouth open to respond, paused and whipped her head around to face you.

“ _ What? _ ” she said, furrowing her brows in confusion. Her and Elena exchanged a glance, before turning back to you.

“Stefan’s at school today?” Elena asks, a strange look on her face. “Are you sure?”

You nod slowly, feeling just as confused as they look. “Uh, yeah, he pulled up in the parking lot pretty late but he’s definitely here. We talked a little bit before first period.”

“Hold on a second,” says Caroline, who is now giving you her full attention. “Stefan came to school this morning,  _ talked _ to you, but didn’t show up in class?”

You nod again, feeling guilty for some reason. “Yeah, he did. Is that bad?”

Caroline scoffs, turning to Elena who looks vaguely like someone has punched her in the gut. 

“If you think that Stefan ignoring his girlfriend’s texts and calls for weeks, only to show up at school  _ without telling her _ is bad, then-”

“Caroline.” Elena cuts her off with a firm tone. She turns back to you, her gaze searching. “Are you sure he came to school today?” she asks weakly, obviously hoping that you were somehow mistaken. You sigh, a sick feeling forming in your gut as you reply, “Yes, I’m positive. I’m sorry, I had no idea he hadn’t told you. I figured you already knew, or that he would have texted you or something.”

Elena shakes her head, pulling out her phone to look at her messages. She sighs, before turning the screen to show you. The last text from Stefan was from the night he was kidnapped, followed by multiple unread texts from Elena sent to him. The sick feeling in your stomach was growing. Why had he contacted you, and not his girlfriend? While a certain part of you felt like you should be celebrating his apparent favoritism, a larger part of you felt bad that Elena was being neglected by her own boyfriend, regardless of how close she had seemed to become with his brother.

Caroline shakes her head in disgust. “And with Miss Mystic Falls being tomorrow- _ ugh, _ it’s like he doesn’t even  _ care!” _

Elena is typing out a text on her phone, one which you're pretty sure is for Stefan, and you hate how bad that makes you feel. You're the intruder here, after all. You should be confessing everything to Elena, begging for forgiveness, and then cutting off Stefan forever. However, you had a pretty shit conscience and didn't feel nearly as bad about the situation as you should. You felt bad for Elena, yes, and a little guilty that you had come between her and Stefan, but you also knew that it had really been just a matter of time anyway. Even before all of this, Stefan and Elena had been seeing each other less and less, and you knew it was partly because she was spending more time with Damon. You couldn't blame her-he was charming in a roguish, bad boy sort of way, but he was still Stefan's brother, and considerin the drama they had with their last girlfriend-it was a little weird to see history repeating itself in a roundabout sort of way.

However, you also knew that if you hadn't started all of this with your cheeky comments and admittedly flirty gestures, if you hadn't shown any interest, Stefan and Elena would probably be frolicking together in some flower field somewhere. The idea made you kind of sick, but you knew the two of them would have been perfectly happy together.

The three of you eat the rest of your lunch in silence, leaving you to ponder over Stefan’s behavior and how much of it might just be your fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I know I said it would be a two shot but i think it's probably gonna turn into a four shot. I'll try to end it next chapter, but if it doesnt work then it just doesnt work :p to everyone who reviewed, thank you so much for reading this pile of garbage lol. I know my writing skills aren't exactly superb, but you only get better with practice, right? Ill get to responding to comments asap now-dont think i wasnt still reading them! I'll see you all next chapter, which will hopefully be sometime this week or early next week as long as my power doesnt go out with this crazy snow we're having. Thanks for reading :D


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